This invention relates to a belt loop sewing apparatus, and more particularly to a knife assembly for cutting a web of belt loop material into belt loop strips.
Apparatus for forming belt loops from strips of web material by folding the ends of the belt loop strips, and for attaching the formed loops to garments, are well known in the art, as illustrated in the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,907--Anderson et al.--Oct. 24, 1972 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,931--Hodgins--Sep. 20, 1977 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,544--Miyachi et al.--Sep. 19, 1978 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,857--Miyachi et al.--Feb. 6, 1979 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,842--Breck, Jr.--Sep. 8, 1981 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,571--Breck, Jr.--May 31, 1983
Anderson and both Miyachi patents disclose pivotally mounted straight cutter blades for co-acting with a straight stationary blade in order to transversely cut the web of belt loop material into strips.
The Hodgins U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,931 discloses a guillotine-action cutter having a straight blade for transversely cutting the web of belt loop material.
In both of the Breck patents, the belt loop strips are precut, and fed as independent belt loop strips to the turning or folding apparatus. The strips are turned at their ends to form the belt loop strips. In the Breck U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,571 (FIG. 10) the independent belt loop strips 40 are secured end-to-end by threads, which must be cut by a pivotal cutter blade 242.
When the ends of a belt loop strip are cut transversely, straight across the web, and then the ends are turned in upon themselves, for subsequent stitching to the garment, the cut ends of the threads or fibers in the in-turned ends of the belt loop strip tend to spread or fan out so that they project laterally outward beyond the width of the stitched belt loop. Such spread fibers are not only unsightly, but tend to fray and unravel from the belt loop.